Dominique Burns | 鈥14 M.S. Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
By Marya BarlowShortly after graduating from 海角社区 Long Beach with a biology degree, Dominique Burns found herself applying for a laboratory job in a field she had never heard of before.
鈥淚 stumbled upon a position in histology,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 had no clue what histology was, but I quickly discovered it was an integral part of healthcare and patient care.鈥
Histologists or histotechnicians play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases by turning tissue samples into microscope slides for a pathologist to study. For Burns, it proved to be an ideal job, combining her passion for patient care with work in a lab setting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really an art form to be able to get that perfect section of tissue so the pathologist has a clear view of everything in the tissue,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s you get good at it, it鈥檚 very exciting.鈥
Burns spent a decade as a histotechnician in both diagnostic labs and hospitals before becoming the manager of molecular and genetic pathology at Stanford Health Care in 2021. She now manages five departments, planning the direction of new tests, technologies, and specialized treatments. She works closely with medical directors throughout the hospital. In 2020, Burns helped Stanford become one of the first hospitals in the nation to go live with digital pathology 鈥 allowing physicians to read tissue slides remotely.
Dominique Burns works in histology, an integral part of healthcare in diagnosing diseases.
She says her master鈥檚 degree in biotechnology and bioinformatics at 海角社区CI is what enabled her to move seamlessly from hands-on lab work to management in one of the nation鈥檚 best hospitals.
鈥淢y degree at 海角社区CI opened up a new realm of opportunity for me to move into the molecular and genetic pathology manager role,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t provided me with so many skills for professional growth and gave me the tools and confidence to grow my career into a leadership role.鈥
Born and raised in Ventura County and graduating from St. Bonaventure High School,
Burns grew up playing sports and hoping to become a doctor of sports medicine. A clinical
internship during her senior year at 海角社区 Long Beach convinced her she was more suited
to the lab. She hopes that her example will show students that there are many fulfilling
ways to provide patient care without necessarily being a doctor.
鈥淵ou can still have a deep impact on patient care even if it鈥檚 not hands-on,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 behind-the-scenes work that allows us to treat the true problem and not just the symptoms. Without the lab, your doctor would be guessing.鈥